Heartworn Highways Revisited to be Released In Summer
As first reported by Saving Country Music back in February of 2013 when the iconic Outlaw country documentary Heartworn Highways was being released digitally for the first time, a followup to the movie called Heartworn Highways Revisited featuring some of the artists in the original film along with new, up-and-coming artists has been in the works.
Directed by Wayne Price, with producer Brian Devine, and original Heartworn Highways producer Graham Leader, Heartworn Highways Revisited is reported to be in post production, with hopes it will be released later this summer. They have also released a trailer for the new film on their website, and have revealed the new cast that includes Guy Clark, David Allan Coe, and Steve Young from the original film, as well as newer artists Jonny Fritz, Deer Tick, Robert Ellis, Andrew Combs, Phil Hummer, Matraca Berg, John McCauley, Josh Hedley, Bobby Bare Jr., Langhorn Slim, Shelly Colvin, Justin Townes Earle, and Shovels & Rope.
Similar to how the original film captured Clark, Coe, Young, Townes Van Zandt, Larry Jon Wilson, Rodney Crowell, Charlie Daniels and others in intimate, concert, and recorded environments, the new film hopes to capture similar organic and authentic moments from this new slate of artists. The new film also has some scenes where the original cast members and the new cast members hang out, meet, and collaborate.
The original Heartworn Highways is given credit by many for setting the standards for a musical documentary. Filmed in late 1975 and early 1976, but not released until 1981, Heartworn Highways chronicles the country music Outlaw movement and some of its most important contributors in the infancy of their careers. Some of the scenes and music have gone on to become some of the most memorable moments of country music lore.
The original Heartworn Highways can be rented On Demand On Amazon and on iTunes.
February 8, 2014 @ 11:34 am
Awesome! I loved the original film. Love seeing anything with DAC!
February 8, 2014 @ 8:22 pm
Why are so many people coming out of the woodwork to support David Allen Coe? He’s a miserable piece of shit in a Barbie wig.
February 8, 2014 @ 10:54 pm
I don’t know about coming out of the woodwork, I’ve been a David AllAn Coe fan for a long time and never hid it.
In my opinion he has written some of the finest songs in country music, and he used to pick some great songs to record as well.
Something about his voice and all female backup vocals on his old stuff really speaks to me.
February 9, 2014 @ 11:21 am
I used to love DAC.
He is probably still my favorite singer ever.
What has bothered me about him over the last 10 or so years is the fact that he treats his fans like dirt.
It’s been that way for a while now.
I know he is old, he has to work and he doesn’t really enjoy it anymore, but he needs to perform for his audience.
I see a fair amount of artists on the senior circuit, but they still put it out there for their fans.
DAC’s show is one long medley, punctuated by occasional complaints about the air quality and threats of leaving the stage.
Best I can tell, DAC is a compulsive gambler who cannot maintain a relationship with many people (including close family members), but he sure was a great singer-songwriter for decades, and he used to be an okay performer.
I never assumed DAC to be a great human being (he didn’t go to prison as many times as he sings about because he has good character), and he lies constantly (I think he would even say he wrote Amazing Grace if he thought about it).
But DAC, more than anyone else by far, is why I listen to authentic country music.
February 9, 2014 @ 10:28 am
His music for the radio is OK. His underground music is not bad ass. It is simply trash.
February 9, 2014 @ 11:00 am
People coming out of the woodwork? Don’t know that I’ve noticed an appreciable increase in attention to David Allan Coe recently. He’s always been a cult icon. Remember Kid Rock and a bunch of other folks name-dropping him in the late 90’s?
February 9, 2014 @ 12:08 pm
I wrote extensively about the dichotomy of David Allan Coe a while back:
https://savingcountrymusic.com/look-this-is-the-deal-with-david-allan-coe-an-editorial
February 8, 2014 @ 11:32 pm
just finally watched it on google play a couple weeks ago looks like ill be watching it again
February 9, 2014 @ 10:15 am
Did I miss something in the world of DAC? What is up with his right hand in that picture?
February 9, 2014 @ 10:59 am
He’s holding something in his hand and it’s a funny angle. Don’t think anything is wrong with it.
February 9, 2014 @ 4:11 pm
Glad to see independent artists getting exposure, but I don’t see the point of using the “Heartworn Highways” brand name for this new project. Some of these music groups like Deer Tick, an indie rock band, are not all that related to the subject matter of the original doc.
February 9, 2014 @ 5:22 pm
I agree entirely. This seems very artificial, completely the opposite of the spontaneity of the original. I like many if not all of these artists, but don’t really look forward to the movie. Make the movie on its own terms, about the scene today, which would make it a different movie than HH2.
February 9, 2014 @ 8:34 pm
Agreed.
And for what it’s worth I’m not putting down any of the artists associated with this new film, but I do think the new project should get to stand on its own.
February 10, 2014 @ 12:36 am
I’m reserving judgement on the movie until I see it, and as a fan of many of these artists, I hope for the best. However I do agree that the new cast shows a pretty narrow perspective on the “new generation” of music inspired by the artists in the first movie. Once again, the narrowing of perspective amongst independent music fans, artists, and entities continues to be of great concern. But that won’t necessarily exclude them from being able to capture something cool here.
February 10, 2014 @ 5:31 am
I will give it a chance, to support the musicians in particular, but just don’t have high hopes. I am certainly not putting down the artists either. It could be good exposure for some, though I expect most fans of the original film are probably already aware of the current scene.
It does seem like a very arbitrary selection of artists, though to be fair, the original was as well. I just worry that the message is that these are THE inheritors of the tradition started by the artists in Heartworn Highway, when I think their legacy is much too broad to be approached in this way.
February 10, 2014 @ 1:05 pm
In addition to the three people featured in the original film, I guess Justin Townes Earle will serve as somewhat of a link between the two projects, both because he is the progeny of Steve, and because he is named in honor of the late great TVZ who was my favorite of the original bunch.
Speaking of which, I saw a clip of Townes’ son, J.T. Zan Zandt, performing on the DVD of the ‘Be Here To Love Me’ documentary and I was really impressed. He seems like he has a really interesting perspective on his Dad’s life and work. I would like to hear more from him, but I think he has chosen to stay out of the limelight and not pursue a musical career.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=558hjl_n5g8
February 11, 2014 @ 11:34 am
That is my understanding about JT as well. He definitely inherited the talent from the few videos of him performing that I have seen, but he’s wary of the life of a musician having watched what it did to his dad (well, music and the alcohol, not in that order). His memories of his dad in to Be Here to Love Me were pretty bleak and a good reminder that talent does not make a hero. I believe he is a boatbuilder and fishing guide, which sounds like a much more sane life to me.
February 10, 2014 @ 7:39 am
I love the original have it on DVD and have watched it many times. I hope the updated version does justice to the original
February 10, 2014 @ 1:06 pm
There was a DAC concert film released in the last 10 years where he constantly name drops Kid Rock and then does a ridiculous rap at the end. It was pretty pathetic.
February 10, 2014 @ 1:07 pm
I also agree that the list of “up and comers” for this film is pretty bad.
February 17, 2015 @ 3:40 pm
I noticed on the official website the official release date said 2014. Can anyone tell me when this flick will finally see daylight?